Wisconsin reaches deal with federal government on complying with military, overseas voting law

Wis. reaches deal with feds on military voting

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin election officials and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached an agreement over how the state will comply with a new law designed to make sure all military and overseas voters have their ballots counted.

The two sides expected to file an agreement in federal court Thursday. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney would not say what was in the consent decree before it was filed.

The law requires that ballots to members of the military and others living overseas have to be sent 45 days before the Nov. 2 election.

Wisconsin, Hawaii, Alaska, Colorado, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands were denied waivers. They had argued they couldn’t meet the law’s deadlines due to August and September primaries.